1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to vaporization of low temperature liquids.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is common to provide different volatile fluids in the form of low temperature liquids permitting facilitated shipment and storage. When it is desired to utilize the fluid in gaseous form, heat is supplied to effect controlled vaporization. One such vaporizing device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,343,727 of George H. Zenner.
In the Canadian Patent Office Record of Sept. 29, 1959, a disclosure of Canadian Pat. No. 584,192 of John B. Gardner was made, showing an apparatus for vaporizing liquefied gas by means of a stream of hot combustion products and heat exchange between first and second heat exchangers.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,975,607 of William W. Bodle, liquefied natural gas is vaporized by use of sea water or air. The process includes the step of reducing the pressure of a vaporized heat transfer medium in a work producing zone and subsequently pressurizing condensed heat transfer medium resulting from a heat transfer association of the reduced pressure medium and the liquefied gas.
In Walton H. Marshall, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 3,068,659 the low temperature liquid is heated by a heat exchange gas having a higher boiling point than the liquid. The vaporized heat transfer gas is expanded in an engine to produce an output energy.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,183,666 of Robert Glover Jackson, liquefied gas is vaporized by means of heat indirectly transferred from the exhaust gases of an internal combustion engine and air to be delivered to the internal combustion engine.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,421,574 of W. Kals, a liquid and apparatus for vaporizing and heating cold liquefied gas is disclosed wherein ambient air is utilized as the heat source of a heat transfer medium. The heat source is placed in heat exchange with the heat transfer medium in a first chamber and the vaporized heat source medium is transferred to a second chamber to be in heat transfer association with the liquefied gas to effect the desired vaporization thereof. Control of the delivery of the liquefied gas to the second heat exchanger is effected by a solenoid valve response to pressure differentials between the first chamber in which the heat transfer fluid is heated and the second chamber in which the heat transfer fluid is placed in heat exchange relationship with the liquefied gas.